KR101366510B1 - Touch panel having multi-layer metal line and method of manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The touch panel includes a transparent substrate, a plurality of transparent conductive patterns, first metal wires, a first insulating film, and second metal wires. The plurality of transparent conductive patterns are formed on the touch area of the transparent substrate. The first metal wires are formed on an edge area of the transparent substrate surrounding the touch area of the transparent substrate, and are electrically connected to the first transparent conductive patterns among the plurality of transparent conductive patterns. The first insulating film is formed on the first metal wires in the edge region of the transparent substrate. The second metal wires are formed on the first insulating layer in the edge region of the transparent substrate and are electrically connected to the second transparent conductive patterns among the plurality of transparent conductive patterns.

Description

TOUCH PANEL HAVING MULTI-LAYER METAL LINE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a touch panel, and more particularly, to a touch panel including a multi-layered metal wiring and a manufacturing method thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A touch panel is widely used as one of devices for recognizing an input action or an event by a user. The touch panel may be usefully used to perform a function intended by the user by contacting the user's finger, stylus pen, or the like with the screen surface. The touch panel is mounted on an upper surface of the display device, and may be classified into a resistive film type, a capacitive type, an electromagnetic field type, an infrared type, and the like.

Recently, the size of a display device and a touch panel is increasing, and a multi-touch technology for recognizing multiple touch points at the same time has been developed. Accordingly, the number of metal wires for electrically connecting the touch panel and the touch controller increases, and the width of the edge area (eg, the bezel area) of the touch panel where the metal wires are disposed increases. have.

One object of the present invention is to provide a touch panel including multiple metal wires in order to reduce the width of the edge region.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing the touch panel.

In order to achieve the above object, a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a transparent substrate, a plurality of transparent conductive patterns, first metal wires, first insulating films, and second metal wires. The plurality of transparent conductive patterns are formed on the touch area of the transparent substrate. The first metal wires are formed on an edge area of the transparent substrate surrounding the touch area of the transparent substrate, and are electrically connected to first transparent conductive patterns among the plurality of transparent conductive patterns. The first insulating layer is formed on the first metal wires in the edge region of the transparent substrate. The second metal wires are formed on the first insulating layer in the edge region of the transparent substrate, and are electrically connected to second transparent conductive patterns among the plurality of transparent conductive patterns.

In example embodiments, the first insulating layer may be partially formed only in an area corresponding to the first metal wires in an edge region of the transparent substrate. In this case, the thickness of the portion connected to the second transparent conductive pattern of the second metal lines may be thicker than the thickness of another portion of the second metal lines.

In example embodiments, the first insulating layer may be entirely formed in an edge region of the transparent substrate. In this case, the touch panel may further include a plurality of metal contacts penetrating the first insulating layer to electrically connect the second transparent conductive patterns and the second metal wires.

In one embodiment, the touch panel may further include a shielding film and a buffer film. The shielding layer may be formed under the first metal wires in an edge region of the transparent substrate. The buffer layer may be formed between the first metal wires and the shielding layer of the edge region of the transparent substrate, and be formed under the plurality of transparent conductive patterns of the touch region of the transparent substrate.

In an embodiment, the touch panel may further include a second insulating layer. The second insulating layer may be formed on the second metal wires in the edge region of the transparent substrate.

The touch panel may further include third metal wires and a third insulating layer. The third metal wires may be formed on the second insulating layer in the edge region of the transparent substrate, and may be electrically connected to third transparent conductive patterns among the plurality of transparent conductive patterns. The third insulating layer may be formed on the third metal wires in the edge region of the transparent substrate.

The touch panel may be a capacitive touch panel.

In order to achieve the above object, in the method of manufacturing a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of transparent conductive patterns are formed on the touch area of the transparent substrate. First metal interconnections may be formed on an edge region of the transparent substrate surrounding the touch region of the transparent substrate to be electrically connected to first transparent conductive patterns among the plurality of transparent conductive patterns. A first insulating layer is formed on the first metal wires in the edge region of the transparent substrate. On the first insulating layer in the edge region of the transparent substrate, second metal wires electrically connected to second transparent conductive patterns among the plurality of transparent conductive patterns are formed.

In one embodiment, in the method of manufacturing the touch panel, a shielding film is further formed below the first metal wires of the edge area of the transparent substrate, and the first metal wires and the shielding film of the edge area of the transparent substrate are formed. A buffer layer may be further formed between and under the plurality of transparent conductive patterns of the touch region of the transparent substrate.

In one embodiment, in the method of manufacturing the touch panel, a second insulating film is further formed on the second metal wires of the edge region of the transparent substrate, and the second insulating film is formed on the second insulating film of the edge region of the transparent substrate. Third metal wires electrically connected to the third transparent conductive patterns among the plurality of transparent conductive patterns may be further formed.

In the touch panel according to the embodiments of the present invention as described above, since the metal lines formed in the edge region (eg, the bezel region) are formed in a multilayer structure, the width of the edge region can be reduced and the touch is relatively wide. It can have an area.

1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D are diagrams illustrating a touch panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 2I, 2J, 2K, and 2L are views for explaining a method of manufacturing a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating a touch panel according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, and 4F are diagrams for describing a method of manufacturing a touch panel, according to another exemplary embodiment.
5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating a touch panel according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating a touch panel according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
7A, 7B, and 7C are diagrams for describing a method of manufacturing a touch panel, according to another embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a touch screen device according to embodiments of the present invention.
9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a touch panel according to embodiments of the present invention.

For the embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, specific structural and functional descriptions are set forth for the purpose of describing an embodiment of the invention only, and it is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention may be practiced in various forms, The present invention should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described in Figs.

As the inventive concept allows for various changes and numerous modifications, particular embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the text. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.

The terms first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms may be used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as a first component.

When a component is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another component, it may be directly connected to or connected to that other component, but it may be understood that other components may be present in between. Should be. On the other hand, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that there are no other elements in between. Other expressions that describe the relationship between components, such as "between" and "between" or "neighboring to" and "directly adjacent to" should be interpreted as well.

The terminology used in this application is used only to describe a specific embodiment and is not intended to limit the invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In the present application, the terms "comprise", "having", and the like are intended to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof, , Steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof, as a matter of principle.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be construed as meaning consistent with meaning in the context of the relevant art and are not to be construed as ideal or overly formal in meaning unless expressly defined in the present application .

1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D are diagrams illustrating a touch panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 1A is a plan view illustrating a touch panel according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of the touch panel of FIG. 1A cut by II ′. FIG. FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of the touch panel of FIG. 1A cut by II-II ′. FIG. FIG. 1D is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of the touch panel of FIG. 1A cut by III-III ′. FIG.

1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D, the touch panel 100 includes a transparent substrate 101, a plurality of transparent conductive patterns 110, first metal wires 120, a first insulating film 130, and Second metal wires 140 are included. The touch panel 100 may further include a shielding layer 160, a buffer layer 170, and a second insulating layer 150.

The plurality of transparent conductive patterns 110 are formed on the touch region TOUCH REGION of the transparent substrate 101. The touch area is an area for sensing a touch input action by a user. The transparent substrate 101 may be formed of a material such as glass, transparent plastic, transparent acrylic, or the like. The plurality of transparent conductive patterns 110 may be formed of a transparent conductive material. According to an embodiment, the plurality of transparent conductive patterns 110 may have various shapes such as triangles, squares, circles, and the like.

The first metal wires 120 are formed on the edge region EDGE REGION of the transparent substrate 101, and are electrically connected to the first transparent conductive patterns 111 and 112 of the plurality of transparent conductive patterns 110. Connected. The edge area is an area surrounding the touch area and may be referred to as a bezel area. The first metal wires 120 may be connected to a touch controller (not shown) through the first connection terminals 120a.

The first insulating layer 130 is formed on the first metal wires 120 in the edge region of the transparent substrate 101. As described below with reference to FIG. 2H, the first insulating layer 130 may be partially formed only in a region corresponding to the first metal wires 120 among the edge regions of the transparent substrate 101. As described later with reference to, it may be formed entirely in the edge region of the transparent substrate 101.

The second metal wires 140 are formed on the first insulating layer 130 in the edge region of the transparent substrate 101, and the second transparent conductive patterns 113 and 114 of the plurality of transparent conductive patterns 110 are formed. ) Is electrically connected. The second metal wires 140 may be connected to the touch controller through the second connection terminals 140a.

The shielding layer 160 may be formed under the first metal wires 120 in the edge region of the transparent substrate 101. The shielding layer 160 may block noise and / or electromagnetic waves, and may be referred to as a black matrix (BM) layer. The buffer layer 170 is formed between the first metal wires 120 and the shielding layer 160 in the edge region of the transparent substrate 101, and a plurality of transparent conductive patterns in the touch region of the transparent substrate 101. It may be formed at the bottom of the (110). The buffer layer 170 may also be called a base layer. The second insulating layer 150 may be formed on the second metal wires 140 in the edge region of the transparent substrate 101.

In one embodiment, the touch panel 100 may be a capacitive touch panel. In another embodiment, the touch panel 100 may be one of infrared, resistive, and electromagnetic field touch panels.

In the touch panel 100 according to the exemplary embodiment, the widths of the edge regions EDGE may be reduced by forming the metal wires 120 and 140 formed in the edge regions in a multilayer structure. It may have a relatively wide touch region.

2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 2I, 2J, 2K, and 2L are views for explaining a method of manufacturing a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2A, 2D, 2F, 2H, and 2J are plan views illustrating a method of manufacturing the touch panel 100 of FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D, and FIGS. 2B, 2C, 2E, 2G, 2I, 2K, and 2L are shown in FIG. 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D are cross-sectional views illustrating a method of manufacturing the touch panel 100. In particular, FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 2A cut by A-A ', and FIGS. 2E, 2G, 2i and 2K are cross-sectional views of FIGS. 2D, 2F, 2H and 2J respectively cut by I-I', FIG. 2L Is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 2J cut by II-II '.

2A and 2B, a shielding layer 160 is formed in the edge region ER of the transparent substrate 101. For example, the shielding layer 160 may be provided by applying a shielding material for blocking noise and / or electromagnetic waves to the edge region ER of the transparent substrate 101 using a printing process. For example, the thickness of the shielding layer 160 may be about 7 to 10 μm.

Referring to FIG. 2C, a buffer layer 170 is formed on the shielding layer 160 of the edge region ER of the transparent substrate 101 and on the touch region TR of the transparent substrate 101. For example, the buffer film 170 may be provided by applying a material such as SiO ₂ . For example, the thickness of the buffer film 170 may be about 2 nm.

2D and 2E, a plurality of transparent conductive patterns 110 are formed on the buffer layer 170 of the touch region TR of the transparent substrate 101. For example, the plurality of transparent conductive patterns 110 may be prepared by applying and patterning the transparent conductive material using a dry coating process such as sputtering or a wet coating process such as spraying or dipping. For example, the transparent conductive material may be indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), antimony tin oxide (ATO), conductive polymer, carbon nanotube (CNT), or the like. The plurality of transparent conductive patterns 110 may be divided into first transparent conductive patterns 111 and 112 and second transparent conductive patterns 113 and 114. Meanwhile, the plurality of transparent conductive patterns 110 may be partially formed on the buffer layer 170 of the edge region ER of the transparent substrate 101 to contact the metal wires 120 and 140.

2F and 2G, first metal wires 120 electrically connected to the first transparent conductive patterns 111 and 112 on the buffer layer 170 of the edge region ER of the transparent substrate 101. ) And the first and second connection terminals 120a and 140a. For example, the first metal wires 121 and 122 and the connection terminals 121a and 122a may be coated and patterned by applying a conductive material including a metal such as copper, tungsten, titanium, aluminum, or the like using a printing process or a deposition process. , 141a and 142a can be provided. One of the first metal wires 121 is electrically connected to one of the first transparent conductive patterns 111 and one of the first connection terminals 121a and the other of the first metal wires. One 122 may be electrically connected to the other 112 of the first transparent conductive patterns and the other 122a of the first connection terminals. For example, the thickness of the first metal lines 121 and 122 may be about 100 nm.

2H and 2I, a first insulating layer 130 is formed on the first metal wires 121 and 122 of the edge region ER of the transparent substrate 101. For example, the first insulating layer 130 may be formed by applying an insulating material only to a region corresponding to the first metal lines 121 and 122 among the edge regions ER of the transparent substrate 101 using a prefabricated mask. You can arrange. The first insulating layer 130 may electrically insulate the first metal lines 120 and the second metal lines 140. For example, the thickness of the first insulating layer 130 may be about 3 to 5㎛.

2J, 2K, and 2L, second metal wires electrically connected to second transparent conductive patterns 113 and 114 on the first insulating layer 130 in the edge region ER of the transparent substrate 101. Form the field 140. For example, the second metal wires 141 and 142 may be prepared by applying and patterning a conductive material including a metal such as copper, tungsten, titanium, aluminum, etc. using a printing process or a deposition process. One of the second metal wires 141 is electrically connected to one of the second transparent conductive patterns 113 and one of the second connection terminals 141a and the other of the second metal wires. One 142 may be electrically connected to the other one of the second transparent conductive patterns 114 and the other one of the second connection terminals 142a. For example, the thickness of the second metal wires 141 and 142 may be about 100 nm. However, as illustrated in FIG. 2L, the thickness of the portion of the second metal interconnection 141 connected to the second transparent conductive pattern 113 may be thicker than the thickness of other portions of the second metal interconnection 141. Although not shown, the thickness of the portion connected to the second connection terminal 141a of the second metal wiring 141 may also be thicker than the thickness of other portions of the second metal wiring 141. Similarly, the thickness of the portion connected to the second transparent conductive pattern 114 of the second metal wiring 142 and the thickness of the portion connected to the second connection terminal 142a of the second metal wiring 142 may be the second thickness. It may be thicker than the thickness of other portions of the metal wire 142.

Referring to FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C, a second insulating layer 150 is formed on the second metal wires 141 and 142 of the edge region ER of the transparent substrate 101. For example, the second insulating layer 150 may be provided by applying an insulating material to the edge region ER of the transparent substrate 101 as a whole. The second insulating layer 150 may protect the second metal wires 141 and 142 from an external shock. For example, the thickness of the second insulating layer 150 may be about 3 to 5 μm. Through the above-described manufacturing process, the touch panel 100 having the metal wires 121, 122, 141, and 142 having a multilayer structure may be manufactured.

1A to 1D and 2A to 2L, the first transparent conductive patterns 111 and 112 are connected to the first metal wires 121 and 122, and the second transparent conductive patterns 113 and 114 are the second metal. Although the case in which the wires 141 and 142 are connected to each other is illustrated, in some embodiments, the transparent conductive patterns 113 and 114 are connected to the first metal wires and the transparent conductive patterns 111 and 112 are connected to the second wire. The metal wires may be connected to each other, and the transparent conductive patterns 111 and 113 may be connected to the first metal wires, and the transparent conductive patterns 112 and 114 may be connected to the second metal wires. In FIGS. 1A to 1D and 2A to 2L, four metal wires 121, 122, 141, and 142 are formed in a two-layer structure, but the number of metal wires and the number of layers of a multilayer structure are variously changed. Can be. The number and shape of the plurality of transparent conductive patterns may also be variously changed.

3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating a touch panel according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 3A is a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of the touch panel of FIG. 1A cut by II-II ′. FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of the touch panel of FIG. 1A cut by III-III ′. FIG.

1A, 3A, and 3B, the touch panel 100a may include a transparent substrate 101, a plurality of transparent conductive patterns 110, first metal wires 120, a first insulating layer 130a, and a second The metal wires 143 may be included, and the metal wires 135 may further include a plurality of metal contacts 135. The touch panel 100 may further include a shielding layer 160, a buffer layer 170, and a second insulating layer 150. 3A and 3B are substantially the same as FIGS. 1C and 1D, except that the structures of the first insulating layer 130a and the second metal wires 143 are different and further include a plurality of metal contacts 135. can do.

The plurality of metal contacts 135 penetrate the first insulating layer 130a to electrically connect the second transparent conductive patterns 113 and 114 and the second metal wires 143 of the plurality of transparent conductive patterns 110. Can be connected. As shown in FIGS. 1C and 1D, instead of forming a thick thickness of a portion of the second metal wire 140 connected to the second transparent conductive pattern 113, the touch panel 100a of FIGS. 3A and 3B may have a plurality of thicknesses. The second transparent conductive patterns 113 and 114 and the second metal wires 143 are electrically connected to each other by using the metal contacts 135 of the second transparent conductive patterns 113 and 114. The reliability of the portion to which the metal wires 143 are connected may be improved.

4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, and 4F are diagrams for describing a method of manufacturing a touch panel, according to another exemplary embodiment. 4A, 4B, and 4E are plan views illustrating the manufacturing method of the touch panel 100a of FIGS. 1A, 3A, and 3B, and FIGS. 4C, 4D, and 4F are manufacturing of the touch panel 100a of FIGS. 1A, 3A, and 3B. Sections for explaining the method. In particular, FIGS. 4C, 4D and 4F are cross-sectional views of FIGS. 4B and 4E, respectively, cut by II-II ′. In the touch panel 100a of FIGS. 1A, 3A, and 3B, forming the shielding layer 160, forming the buffer layer 170, and forming the plurality of transparent conductive patterns 110 are performed in FIG. 2A, respectively. And 2b, 2c, and 2d and 2e.

Referring to FIG. 4A, first metal wires 120 electrically connected to the first transparent conductive patterns 111 and 112 are formed on the buffer layer 170 of the edge region ER of the transparent substrate 101. And first and second connection terminals 120a and 140a. The first metal wires 121 and 122 and the first connection terminals 121a and 122a may be substantially the same as described above with reference to FIGS. 2F and 2G. The second connection terminals 141b and 142b may be longer than the second connection terminals 141a and 142a of FIG. 2F for electrical connection with the second metal wires 143.

4B, 4C, and 4D, the first insulating layer 130a is formed on the first metal wires 121 and 122 of the edge region ER of the transparent substrate 101. For example, the first insulating layer 130a may be provided by applying an insulating material to the edge region ER of the transparent substrate 101 as a whole. The thickness of the first insulating layer 130a may be about 3 to 5 μm.

A plurality of metal contacts 135 and 136 penetrating the first insulating layer 130a are formed. For example, through holes 131 may be formed in portions of the first insulating layer 130a corresponding to the second transparent conductive patterns 113 and 114, and the second holes may be filled with a conductive material to fill the through holes 131. Metal contacts 135 may be formed to be electrically connected to the conductive patterns 113 and 114. In some embodiments, through holes 131 may be formed at the same time as the first insulating layer 130a using a prefabricated mask. The through holes may be formed using an etching process after the first insulating layer 130a is first formed. 131 may be formed. Although not shown, similarly, the second connection hole is formed by forming second through holes in a portion corresponding to the second connection terminals 141b and 142b of the first insulating layer 130a and filling the second through holes with a conductive material. Metal contacts 136 may be formed to be electrically connected to the terminals 141b and 142b.

4E and 4F, second metal wires electrically connected to the second transparent conductive patterns 113 and 114 on the first insulating layer 130a of the edge region ER of the transparent substrate 101 ( 143). For example, the second metal wires 144 and 145 may be prepared by applying and patterning a conductive material including a metal such as copper, tungsten, titanium, aluminum, or the like by using a printing process or a deposition process. One of the second metal wires 144 is electrically connected to one of the second transparent conductive patterns 113 and one of the second connection terminals 141b through metal contacts 135 and 136. The other one of the second metal wires 145 is connected to the other one of the second transparent conductive patterns 114 and the other one of the second connection terminals 142b through the metal contacts 135 and 136. ) Can be electrically connected. In addition, when compared with the second metal wires 141 and 142 of FIGS. 2I and 2L, the second metal wires 144 and 145 have different portions from those connected to the second transparent conductive patterns 113 and 114. By having a thickness that is not thicker than the overall thickness of the overall, it can have improved reliability.

Referring to FIGS. 1A, 3A, and 3B, the second insulating layer 150 is formed on the second metal wires 144 and 145 of the edge region ER of the transparent substrate 101. Through the above-described manufacturing process, the touch panel 100a having the metal wires 121, 122, 144, and 145 having a multilayer structure may be manufactured.

5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating a touch panel according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 5A is a plan view illustrating a touch panel according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of the touch panel of FIG. 5A cut by II ′. FIG.

5A and 5B, the touch panel 200 may include a transparent substrate 201, a plurality of transparent conductive patterns 210, first metal wires 220, a first insulating film 230, and a second metal wire. And the second insulating film 250 and the third metal wires 280. The touch panel 100 may further include a shielding film 260, a buffer film 270, and a third insulating film 290. Except that the number of the plurality of transparent conductive patterns 210 is increased and thus further includes the third metal wires 280 and the third insulating layer 290, FIGS. 5A and 5B are respectively shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. May be substantially the same.

That is, the plurality of transparent conductive patterns 210 are formed on the touch region TOUCH REGION of the transparent substrate 201, and the first metal wires 220 are the edge regions of the transparent substrate 201. The first insulating layer 230 is formed on the first metal wires 220 in the edge region of the transparent substrate 201, and the second metal wires 240 are formed on the transparent substrate 201. It is formed on the first insulating film 230 in the edge region of the. The second insulating layer 250 is formed on the second metal wires 240 in the edge region of the transparent substrate 201, and the third metal wires 280 are formed in the edge region of the transparent substrate 201. 2 is formed on the insulating film 250. The first metal wires 220 are electrically connected to the first transparent conductive patterns 211 and 212 of the plurality of transparent conductive patterns 210, and the second metal wires 240 are the plurality of transparent conductive patterns. The second transparent conductive patterns 213 and 214 are electrically connected to each other, and the third metal wires 280 are electrically connected to the third transparent conductive patterns 215 of the plurality of transparent conductive patterns 210. 215 is electrically connected. The first to third metal wires 220, 240, and 280 may be connected to a touch controller (not shown) through the first to third connection terminals 220a, 240a, and 280a.

The shielding layer 260 may be formed under the first metal wires 220 in the edge region of the transparent substrate 201, and the buffer layer 270 may be formed in the first metal in the edge region of the transparent substrate 201. The insulating layer 220 may be formed between the wirings 220 and the shielding layer 260 and may be formed under the plurality of transparent conductive patterns 210 of the touch area of the transparent substrate 201, and the third insulating layer 290 may be formed of the transparent layer. It may be formed on the third metal wires 280 in the edge region of the substrate 201.

According to an embodiment, the portion where the second transparent conductive patterns 213 and 214 and the second metal lines 240 are connected to each other is as described above with reference to FIGS. 1C and 2L. The thickness of the portion connected to the second transparent conductive patterns 213 and 214 of the second metal wires 240 is implemented to be thicker than the thickness of the other portion of the second metal wires 240 or as described above with reference to FIGS. 3A and 4F. It can be implemented to include contacts. In this case, the first insulating layer 230 may be partially formed only in a region corresponding to the first metal wires 220 among the edge regions of the transparent substrate 201, and may be formed in the edge region of the transparent substrate 201. It may be formed as a whole.

Similarly, portions where the third transparent conductive patterns 215 and 216 and the third metal lines 280 are connected to the third transparent conductive patterns 215 and 216 of the third metal lines 280 The thickness of the portion to be connected may be thicker than the thickness of the other portions of the third metal lines 280, or may be implemented to include the metal contacts. In this case, the second insulating layer 250 may be partially formed only in a region corresponding to the second metal wires 240 among the edge regions of the transparent substrate 201, and may be formed in the edge region of the transparent substrate 201. It may be formed as a whole.

6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating a touch panel according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 6A is a plan view illustrating a touch panel according to embodiments of the present invention. 6B is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of the touch panel of FIG. 6A cut by IV-IV ′.

6A and 6B, the touch panel 300 includes a transparent substrate 301, a plurality of transparent conductive patterns 311 and 312, first metal wires 320, a first insulating film 330, and a second Metal wires 340. The touch panel 100 may further include a shielding layer 360, a buffer layer 370, and a second insulating layer 350. 6A and 6B are FIGS. 1A and 6B except that the configurations of the plurality of transparent conductive patterns 311 and 312 are different and thus the number of the first metal wires 320 and the second metal wires 340 is different. And 1b, respectively.

The plurality of transparent conductive patterns 311 and 312 are formed on the touch region TOUCH REGION of the transparent substrate 301 and include first transparent conductive patterns 311 and second transparent conductive patterns 312. do. The first transparent conductive patterns 311 may be formed to extend in a first direction and spaced apart at regular intervals in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The second transparent conductive patterns 312 are formed on the first transparent conductive patterns 311 of the touch area of the transparent substrate 301, that is, on the first insulating layer 330, and extend in the second direction. And spaced apart at regular intervals in the first direction.

The first metal wires 320 are formed on an edge region of the transparent substrate 301, and the first insulating layer 330 is formed on the first metal wires 320 of the edge region of the transparent substrate 301. ) And on the first transparent conductive patterns 311 of the touch area of the transparent substrate 301. Unlike FIGS. 1A, 1B, 3A, 5A, and 5B, the first insulating layer 330 is formed in both the edge region and the touch region of the transparent substrate 301, so that the first metal wires 320 and the first metal wires 320 and the first metal wires 320 are formed. The second metal wires 340 may be electrically insulated and the first transparent conductive patterns 311 and the second transparent conductive patterns 312 may be electrically insulated. The second metal wires 340 are formed on the first insulating layer 330 in the edge region of the transparent substrate 301. The first metal wires 320 are electrically connected to the first transparent conductive patterns 311, and the second metal wires 340 are electrically connected to the second transparent conductive patterns 312. The first and second metal wires 320 and 340 may be connected to a touch controller (not shown) through the first and second connection terminals 320a and 340a. The shielding layer 360 may be formed under the first metal wires 320 in the edge region of the transparent substrate 301, and the buffer layer 370 may be the first metal in the edge region of the transparent substrate 301. It is formed between the wiring 320 and the shielding film 360 and may be formed below the plurality of transparent conductive patterns, that is, the first transparent conductive patterns 311 of the touch area of the transparent substrate 301, The second insulating layer 350 may be formed on the second metal wires 340 in the edge region of the transparent substrate 301.

7A, 7B, and 7C are diagrams for describing a method of manufacturing a touch panel, according to another embodiment of the present invention. 7A, 7B, and 7C are plan views illustrating a method of manufacturing the touch panel 300 of FIGS. 6A and 6B. In the touch panel 300 of FIGS. 6A and 6B, forming the shielding layer 360, forming the buffer layer 370, and forming the first transparent conductive patterns 311 may be described with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B, respectively. 2C, and may be substantially the same as described with reference to FIGS. 2D and 2E.

Referring to FIG. 7A, first metal wires 320 that are electrically connected to first transparent conductive patterns 311 are formed on the buffer layer 370 at the edge of the transparent substrate 301. First and second connection terminals 320a and 340a are formed. The first metal wires 320 may be electrically connected to the first transparent conductive patterns 311 and the first connection terminals 320a, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 7B, the first metal wires 320 of the edge region of the transparent substrate 301 and the first transparent conductive patterns 311 of the touch region of the transparent substrate 301 may be formed. 1 An insulating film 330 is formed. For example, the first insulating layer 330 may be provided in a portion of an edge region of the transparent substrate 301 using a prefabricated mask. In addition, second transparent conductive patterns 312 are formed on the touch area of the transparent substrate 301.

Referring to FIG. 7C, second metal wires 340 are formed on the first insulating layer 330 of the edge region of the transparent substrate 301 to be electrically connected to the second transparent conductive patterns 312. The second metal wires 340 may be electrically connected to the second transparent conductive patterns 312 and the second connection terminals 340a, respectively. The portion of the second metal lines 340 connected to the second transparent conductive patterns 312 may be substantially the same as the portion of the first metal lines 320 connected to the first transparent conductive patterns 311. Can be. Meanwhile, the thickness of the portion connected to the second connection terminals 340a of the second metal lines 340 may be thicker than the thickness of other portions of the second metal lines 340.

6A and 6B, a second insulating film 350 is formed on the second metal wires 340 in the edge region of the transparent substrate 301. Through the above-described manufacturing process, the touch panel 300 having the metal wires 320 and 340 having a multilayer structure may be manufactured.

8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a touch screen device according to embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8, the touch screen device 400 includes a display panel 410 and a touch panel 420. Although not illustrated, the touch screen device 400 may further include a controller, a power supply, and the like for driving the display panel 410 and the touch panel 420.

The display panel 410 is configured to display an image (image). For example, the display panel 410 may be one of various display panels such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, a light emitting diode (LED) panel, an organic LED (OLED) panel, and a field emission display (FED) panel. have.

The touch panel 420 includes the touch panel 100 of FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D, the touch panel 100a of FIGS. 1A, 3A, and 3B, the touch panel 200 of FIGS. 5A and 5B, and FIGS. 6A and 6B. It may be one of the touch panels 300. The touch panel 420 has a multi-layered structure of metal wires formed in the edge area, whereby the width of the edge area can be reduced and can have a relatively wide touch area. The display panel 410 and the touch panel 420 may be attached using the adhesive layer 430.

9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a touch panel according to embodiments of the present invention.

1A, 1B, 5A, 5B, and 9, in a method of manufacturing a touch panel according to embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of transparent conductive patterns are formed on a touch region of the transparent substrate 101 or 201. Fields 110 or 210 (step S110), and the first transparent conductive patterns 111 of the plurality of transparent conductive patterns 110 or 210 on the edge region EDGE REGION of the transparent substrate 101 or 201. First metal wires 120 or 220 electrically connected to each of the first and second wires 112, 211, and 212 (step S120), and the first metal wires of the edge region EDGE REGION of the transparent substrate 101 or 201. A first insulating film 130 or 230 is formed on the 120 or 220 (step S130), and a plurality of first insulating films 130 or 230 are formed on the first insulating film 130 or 230 of the edge region EDGE REGION of the transparent substrate 101 or 201. The second metal wires 140 or 240 are electrically connected to the second transparent conductive patterns 113, 114, 213, and 214 of the transparent conductive patterns 110 or 210 (S140).

In an embodiment, a shielding layer 160 or 260 is further formed below the first metal wires 120 or 220 of the edge region EDGE REGION of the transparent substrate 101 or 201, and the transparent substrate 101 or 201 is formed. A plurality of transparent conductive patterns between the first metal wires 120 or 220 and the shielding layer 160 or 260 of the edge region EDGE REGION and the touch region TOUCH REGION of the transparent substrate 101 or 201. A buffer layer 170 or 270 may be further formed below the 110 or 210.

In an embodiment, the second insulating layer 250 is further formed on the second metal wires 240 of the edge region EDGE REGION of the transparent substrate 201, and the edge region EDGE REGION of the transparent substrate 201 is formed. The third metal wires 280 electrically connected to the third transparent conductive patterns 215 and 216 of the plurality of transparent conductive patterns 210 may be further formed on the second insulating layer 250 of FIG. .

Embodiments of the present invention may be usefully employed in any device and system including a touch panel. Accordingly, the present invention provides a computer, a laptop, a cellular phone, a smart phone, an MP3 player, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP) having a display device. ), And may be applied to electronic devices such as digital TVs and digital cameras.

While the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. It will be understood.

Claims (10)

A transparent substrate;
A plurality of transparent conductive patterns formed on the touch area of the transparent substrate;
First metal wires formed on an edge area of the transparent substrate surrounding the touch area of the transparent substrate and electrically connected to first transparent conductive patterns among the plurality of transparent conductive patterns;
A first insulating film formed on the first metal wires in an edge region of the transparent substrate; And
Second metal wires formed on the first insulating layer in an edge region of the transparent substrate and electrically connected to second transparent conductive patterns among the plurality of transparent conductive patterns,
The first insulating layer is partially formed only in an area corresponding to the first metal wires among edge regions of the transparent substrate,
And a thickness of a portion of the second metal wires connected to the second transparent conductive pattern is thicker than a thickness of another portion of the second metal wires. delete delete The method of claim 1,
A shielding film formed under the first metal wires in an edge region of the transparent substrate; And
And a buffer layer formed between the first metal wires of the edge region of the transparent substrate and the shielding layer and formed below the plurality of transparent conductive patterns of the touch region of the transparent substrate. . The method of claim 1,
And a second insulating film formed on the second metal wires in the edge region of the transparent substrate. The method of claim 5, wherein
Third metal wires formed on the second insulating layer in the edge region of the transparent substrate and electrically connected to third transparent conductive patterns among the plurality of transparent conductive patterns; And
And a third insulating film formed on the third metal wires in the edge region of the transparent substrate. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the touch panel is a capacitive touch panel. Forming a plurality of transparent conductive patterns on the touch region of the transparent substrate;
Forming first metal wires electrically connected to first transparent conductive patterns among the plurality of transparent conductive patterns on an edge area of the transparent substrate surrounding the touch area of the transparent substrate;
Forming a first insulating film on the first metal wires in an edge region of the transparent substrate; And
Forming second metal wires on the first insulating layer in the edge region of the transparent substrate, the second metal wires electrically connected to second transparent conductive patterns among the plurality of transparent conductive patterns;
The first insulating layer is partially formed only in an area corresponding to the first metal wires among edge regions of the transparent substrate,
And a thickness of a portion of the second metal wires connected to the second transparent conductive pattern is thicker than a thickness of another portion of the second metal wires. The method of claim 8,
Forming a shielding film under the first metal wires in an edge region of the transparent substrate; And
And forming a buffer layer between the first metal wires and the shielding layer in the edge region of the transparent substrate and under the plurality of transparent conductive patterns in the touch region of the transparent substrate. Method of preparation. The method of claim 8,
Forming a second insulating film on the second metal wires in the edge region of the transparent substrate; And
And forming third metal wires electrically connected to third transparent conductive patterns among the plurality of transparent conductive patterns, on the second insulating layer in the edge region of the transparent substrate. Method of manufacturing the panel.

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